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JUNE 15, 2021
11
Community Fund awards $706,996 in grants
By Dean Rhodes
Smoke Signals editor
Spirit Mountain Community
Fund awarded $706,996 in grants
on Wednesday, June 9, during its
second virtual check presentation
event, bringing the Grand Ronde
Tribe’s philanthropic giving since
1995 to $85.74 million.
Spirit Mountain Community
Fund receives 6 percent of proceeds
from Spirit Mountain Casino and
distributes those funds to non-
profits in 11 northwestern Oregon
counties to fund efforts in the areas
of arts and culture, environmental
preservation, education, health,
historic preservation and public
safety.
The Community Fund was cre-
ated as part of the Tribe’s gaming
compact with the state of Oregon. It
is supervised by a Board of Trustees
that includes Tribal Council mem-
bers Denise Harvey, Jack Giffen Jr.
and Kathleen George.
The virtual event was the sec-
ond check presentation held by
the Community Fund since March
2020. It opened with a prayer by
Tribal Council Secretary Jon A.
George and video of Cultural Re-
sources employees Jordan Mercier
and Greg Archuleta performing a
gathering song at the confluence
of the Willamette and Columbia
rivers.
Executive Director Michael Cher-
ry and Board of Trustees Chairman
Chip Lazenby welcomed virtual
attendees.
Cherry said she hopes the next
quarterly check distribution will
be conducted in-person, something
that has not occurred since March
2020.
“Our check presentations are
a way for us to get together as a
community to give thanks and
celebrate and honor our grantees
who work tirelessly to help those
in need,” Cherry said. “We wish we
could be with you in person though
I trust we will all be together very,
very soon.”
Lazenby, who has been on the
Board of Trustees for 13 years, said
he has underestimated the effect
of the Tribe’s philanthropic giving
over the last 26 years.
“I’ve really underestimated what
an impact it can have in our commu-
nity,” Lazenby said. “The amount of
money that we have given out over
the period of time is close to $85
million. That is money going into
our communities for people like
you who are doing the work on the
ground. While it is fun from our
perspective as trustees to see the
amazing work that you and people
like you are doing in our communi-
ties, we realize that you’re the ones
who really make a difference. …
We are always here to be partners
with you as we head forward into
the future.”
Grants Coordinator Jim Holmes
showed the approximately 65 peo-
ple who attended a video on the
history of the Tribe.
Community Fund Program Co-
ordinator Angela Sears announced
the grant awards and allowed orga-
nization representatives to briefly
speak.
Veterans Legacy Board of Direc-
tors Vice President and Air Force
veteran Phillip Groshong discussed
his organization’s efforts to help
homeless veterans in Lane County.
The nonprofit incorporated in
2016 to ensure that no veteran
should be homeless and no veteran
should commit suicide. The organi-
zation’s 107-acre Camp Alma locat-
2021 SUMMER
JUNE 15 • BASIC FINANCES
STUDENT
JUNE 22 • CULTURE PRESENTATION
PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT
JUNE 29 • COLLEGE & CAREERS
TRAININGS
Learn how to manage money, learn more about
checking accounts, credit cards and much more.
Learn more about the Confederated Tribes of
Grand Ronde. This is one you don’t want to miss!
Learn about your next steps in life, what you can
do now to prepare and opportunities you can
take advantage of now.
JULY 6 • EMPLOYMENT
Learn practical tips of how to get a job and keep
a job.
JULY 20 • 21 TRUST FUNDS
This workshop is for CTGR Tribal member students
ages, 18 – 20.
Four professional development workshops will be
offered this summer for all Native students currently
in grades 9 -12th. The fifth and last workshop will be
for Tribal member students ages 18-20.
All sessions are approximately one hour and there
will be a raffle prize at the end of each session!
Workshops will be held at the CTGR Employment
building lower floor conference rooms and all ses-
sions start at 1 p.m. Be sure to sign up below on the
link provided for one or all classes. There are limit-
ed openings in each workshop, don’t delay and
sign-up today. If you have questions, please email
YouthEnrichment@grandronde.org or call 503-879-
2101. We hope to see you there!
Please note: Students will be required to health
screen in (temperature check and basic health
questions) prior to entering workshop. Masks are
required and social distancing for each session.
ed in Veneta between Eugene and
the Oregon coast now features 16
cubicles to house veterans and will
use the Community Fund’s $25,000
grant to open 16 more cubicles in
another three months.
“Camp Alma is now ready to help
veterans in need with their journey
to recovery from homelessness,
substance abuse and/or mental
health challenges,” Groshong said.
“This grant is a huge step toward
us opening our doors.”
During the June 10 virtual check
distribution, the Community Fund
awarded 10 small grants and 20
large grants.
Small grants were awarded to:
• The Portland Urban Debate
League, $3,000, for expansion of
its Urban Debate Program;
• Confluence of Multnomah Coun-
ty, $4,000, for Native-led profes-
sional development workshops
for Oregon teachers;
• Pathfinder Clubhouse of Benton
County, $5,000, to improve the
mental and physical health of
adults living with mental illness;
• National Alliance on Mental
Illness of Lane County, $7,500,
to expand culturally responsive
services for the LGBTQIA+ com-
munity;
• Playworks Education Energized
of Marion County, $5,000, for
expansion of its Keeping Playing
Virtual Support Service;
• Bradley Angle of Multnomah
County, $7,500, to fund its Heal-
ing Roots program;
• William Temple House of Mult-
nomah County, $7,500, to improve
mental health in the community
by providing affordable counsel-
ing services;
• St. John’s Center for Opportunity
of Multnomah County, $5,000, to
improve food access for the north
Portland community;
• Children’s Center of Clackamas
County, $7,500, to fund its pre-
vention program;
• ALS Association of Oregon and
Southwest Washington, $5,000,
to support medical and care ser-
vices for those diagnosed with
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
In addition to the Veterans Leg-
acy award, large grants were given
to:
• Southwestern Polk County Fire
District, $21,950, to purchase an
extrication system to save those
trapped in vehicles after crashes;
• Legacy Health Foundation of
Washington County, $47,750, to
fund a regional COVID-19 vacci-
nation program;
• American Military Encourage-
ment Network, $17,750, to fund
basic food relief for veterans,
military families and children;
• Wayside Friends Church of Yam-
hill County, $27,750, to fund
its Newberg Distance Learning
support program;
• Boys & Girls Club of Salem, Mar-
ion & Polk Counties, $47,750, to
fund a full-day educational pro-
gram for youths in need;
• All Hands Raised of Multnomah
County, $22,750, to improve
educational outcomes through
student engagement;
• Old Mill Center for Children
& Families of Benton County,
$22,750, for youth coping with
mental health issues during and
after the COVID-19 pandemic;
• Prevent Child Abuse Oregon of
Clackamas County, $17,750, to
fund resiliency during COVID for
families and children;
• Parenting Now of Lane County,
$47,100, for parenting education
to prevent child abuse and im-
prove school readiness;
• Food Roots of Tillamook County,
$37,750, for its Farm to School
program;
• Horses of Hope Oregon of Marion
County, $13,400, to build human
resiliency to combat adverse
childhood experiences through
horses and healing;
• Together We Are Greater Than
of east Multnomah County,
$45,500, to fund COVID-19 re-
sponse for equitable education in
underserved communities;
• Friends of the Children Portland,
$22,750, for essential relation-
ships and healing-centered men-
toring;
• Salem Free Clinics, $38,119, for
mental health counseling and
medication management for the
uninsured;
• Relief Nursery Inc. of Lane Coun-
ty, $50,000, to fund Native out-
reach and a Diversity, Equity and
Inclusion coordinator;
• Clackamas Women’s Services,
$25,000, to expand culturally
responsive youth advocacy and
support;
• ChickTech of Multnomah County,
$25,000, to increase STEM (sci-
ence, technology, engineering and
math) learning for high school
youth;
• Doulas Latinas International of
Washington County, $50,000, for
maternal child emotional health
equality;
• Native American Youth & Family
Center of Multnomah County,
$44,177, to fund its cultural edu-
cation and wellness after-school
program.
The virtual event closed with
Giffen raffling off three beaded
necklaces and an Ikanum saddle
blanket respectively to Food Roots,
Bradley Angle, Friends of the Chil-
dren Portland and Relief Nursery,
and Harvey making a closing state-
ment.
“I am so appreciative of the work
that you do in our communities,”
Harvey said. 
St. Michael’s offers brunch
h t t p : / / b i t . l y / s u m m e r 2 0 2 1 p r o f e ssionaldev elopm ent
Ad by Samuel Briggs III
St. Michael’s Catholic Church offers an open house brunch ev-
ery Sunday following Mass. The brunch is free to the community.
Brunch begins at about 11:30 a.m. following the 10:30 a.m. Mass.
Mass attendance is not required for brunch attendance. For
more information or for kitchen and hall rental, contact Janelle
Justen at 503-550-0923. 